ICSC Chairman James Maurin

James Maurin, chairman of Covington, LA-based Stirling Properties, is completing his one year term as the 44th chairman of the International Council of Shopping Centers. Maurin will be replaced at the ICSC’s Spring Convention in Las Vegas by a yet-to-be named industry executive. During the past year, Maurin has traveled to ICSC meetings and other events throughout the United States and in nine other countries, logging about 120,000 airline miles in the process. The Spring Convention will be the 45th ICSC-related event he has attended the last year. After completing his term, Maurin expects to stay involved as a volunteer for ICSC, specializing in legislative matters. He recently spoke to GSR about his tenure as chairman.

GSR: After becoming chairman, what did you realize was the biggest challenge facing the industry?

Maurin: Obviously, having been in the shopping center business for 30 years and being active in ICSC for about 20, you go into this job thinking, “The reason they gave me this job is because I know all there is.” The humbling part of this job is that you come out of it and realize that in that one year how much you didn’t know and how much you have learned. It is an eye-opening experience, particularly the travel. Any of us in the business tend to be focused on our backyard, on our country, or whatever. The two biggest eye openers for me, one was more North American and one was more international. On the North American side, it’s the role that government continues to play in terms of either trying to interfere with our commerce or our business. Obviously, I was aware of that, but I really got a first-hand look this year talking to developers around North America. On the federal side, the biggest issue is the e-commerce issue where the federal government will not allow a level playing field between traditional shopping center formats and electronic formats. And on the state and local level, the growth-management issues, the big-box legislation, the ballot-box zoning, those become more apparent.